Researchers tentatively place Tasmanian tiger extinction in the late 1990s

[Still Waters]

An international group of researchers led by the University of Tasmania has taken a fresh look into the disappearance, and conceivable reappearance, of the Tasmanian tiger thylacine. The last thylacine confirmed killed in the wild was in 1930, and the last specimen in captivity died at a Tasmanian zoo in 1936. Since then, sightings have regularly persisted across Tasmania, though no captured creatures or images have been offered to prove its survival.

With the possibility that the creature had persisted well past its addition and eventual removal from the endangered species list with an official designation of "extinct," the researchers wanted to model the most likely last refuges of the iconic predator. In the paper, "Resolving when (and where) the Thylacine went extinct," researchers modeled 1,237 reported sightings from 1910 to the present day.

https://phys.org/news/2023-03-tentatively-tasmanian-tiger-extinction-late.html

Resolving when (and where) the Thylacine went extinct

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969723014948?

[Jon the frog]

Cannot conceive the presence of Tasmanian tiger that late, would have got roadkills registered for sure. Maybe in the 40s or 50s at the latest.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-17/roadkill-tas-app-data-details-shocking-toll-on-wildlife/100984710

 

Edited March 23, 2023 by Jon the frog

[Bavarian Raven]

4 hours ago, Jon the frog said:

Cannot conceive the presence of Tasmanian tiger that late, would have got roadkills registered for sure. Maybe in the 40s or 50s at the latest.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-17/roadkill-tas-app-data-details-shocking-toll-on-wildlife/100984710

 

Not necessarily. Only would need a dozen or do creatures to keep the pop alive for several more decades (as with most mammals, that are slower to reproduce).and if they’re not near an area with major roads … they’re not likely to be hit. Frankly if they’re numbers were in the single digits for the last two or theee decades of their existence, hitting one would be like winning a lottery. 

[Jon the frog]

3 hours ago, Bavarian Raven said:

Not necessarily. Only would need a dozen or do creatures to keep the pop alive for several more decades (as with most mammals, that are slower to reproduce).and if they’re not near an area with major roads … they’re not likely to be hit. Frankly if they’re numbers were in the single digits for the last two or theee decades of their existence, hitting one would be like winning a lottery. 

A small single digit population not survive just because of genetics... mishaps just add on so fast and it's a dead end.

[Bavarian Raven]

1 hour ago, Jon the frog said:

A small single digit population not survive just because of genetics... mishaps just add on so fast and it's a dead end.

I never said it survived. But when an animal population is in an 'extinction spiral', it can still last a surprisingly long time with only a few members before becoming extinct. Which i think they are, sadly.

[Alchopwn]

I heard a rumor about a Thylacine breeding colony set up in Wilson's Promontory back in the 1920s.

[CigaretteSmokingMan]

This theory is based on sightings, from obvious reputable sources who are clearly sane.

[oldrover]

On 3/24/2023 at 1:10 PM, Alchopwn said:

I heard a rumor about a Thylacine breeding colony set up in Wilson's Promontory back in the 1920s.

[oldrover]

Just now, oldrover said:

On 3/24/2023 at 1:10 PM, Alchopwn said:

I heard a rumor about a Thylacine breeding colony set up in Wilson's Promontory back in the 1920s.

Sorry couldn't reply on the first attempt. This is a myth which has been doing the rounds for a few decades. It's based on the organisation which ran Melbourne Zoo having the word ' acclimisation' in its title. They did purchase animals which they released, and they did purchase thylacines,  but all of the latter can be traced to captivity.